Spacer with integral flange for print head protection

Abstract

A printer including a print head, a transport belt, and a spacer. The print head may include a plurality of jets configured to eject ink. The transport belt may be positioned below the print head. The spacer may be positioned above the transport belt. The spacer may include a first surface, and a distance between a portion of the first surface and the transport belt may decrease moving in the direction that the transport belt moves.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A printer, comprising:
 a print head including a plurality of jets configured to eject ink; 
 a transport belt positioned below the print head, wherein the transport belt is configured to move in a direction; 
 a mounting plate positioned adjacent to the print head and above the transport belt; and 
 a spacer positioned above the transport belt and below the mounting plate, wherein the spacer includes a first surface, and wherein a distance between a portion of the first surface and the transport belt decreases moving in the direction that the transport belt moves, the spacer being positioned closer to the transport belt than the print head, wherein the spacer includes a first side positioned upstream from the plurality of jets and a second side positioned downstream from the plurality of jets with respect to the direction that the transport belt moves and the print head is positioned between the first side and the second side of the spacer. 
 
     
     
       2. The printer of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer is coupled to or integral with the print head. 
     
     
       3. The printer of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the first surface is substantially planar and oriented at an angle with respect to the transport belt from about 10° to about 80°. 
     
     
       4. The printer of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the first surface is curved. 
     
     
       5. The printer of  claim 1 , wherein a shortest distance between the first surface of the spacer and the transport belt is less than or equal to 50% of a shortest distance between the print head and the transport belt. 
     
     
       6. The printer of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer further includes a second surface that is positioned above the first surface, and wherein the second surface is substantially parallel to the transport belt. 
     
     
       7. The printer of  claim 6 , wherein the spacer further includes a third surface that is positioned above the second surface, and wherein the third surface is substantially perpendicular to the transport belt. 
     
     
       8. The printer of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer is positioned upstream from the jets. 
     
     
       9. The printer of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer is configured to prevent a piece of paper that extends upward from the transport belt more than a predetermined amount from passing under the print head. 
     
     
       10. A printer, comprising:
 a print head including a plurality of jets configured to eject ink; 
 a transport belt positioned below the print head, wherein the transport belt is configured to move in a direction; 
 a first mounting plate positioned adjacent to the print head on a first side and above the transport belt; 
 a second mounting plate positioned adjacent to the print head on a second side and above the transport belt; and 
 a first spacer positioned above the transport belt and below the first mounting plate, wherein the first spacer includes a first side positioned upstream from the jets and a second side positioned downstream from the jets with respect to the direction that the transport belt moves and the print head is positioned between the first side and the second side of the first spacer, wherein the first side includes a first surface, and wherein a distance between a portion of the first surface and the transport belt decreases moving in the direction that the transport belt moves, the first spacer being positioned closer to the transport belt than the print head. 
 
     
     
       11. The printer of  claim 10 , wherein the portion of the first surface is substantially planar and oriented at an angle with respect to the transport belt from about 10° to about 80°, and wherein a shortest distance between the first surface of the first spacer and the transport belt is less than or equal to 50% of a shortest distance between the print head and the transport belt. 
     
     
       12. The primer of  claim 10 , wherein the first space further includes a second surface that is positioned above the first surface, wherein the second surface is substantially parallel to the transport belt, wherein the first spacer further includes a third surface that is positioned above the second surface, and wherein the third surface is substantially perpendicular to the transport belt. 
     
     
       13. The printer of  claim 10 , wherein the second side of the first spacer includes a second surface, and wherein, a distance between a portion of the second surface and the transport belt decreases moving in the direction that the transport belt moves. 
     
     
       14. The printer of  claim 10 , further comprising a second spacer positioned upstream from the first spacer with respect to the direction that the transport belt moves, wherein a shortest distance between the second spacer and the transport belt is greater than the shortest distance between the first surface of the first spacer and the transport belt. 
     
     
       15. A method for printing, comprising;
 causing a piece of paper to be placed onto a transport belt in a printer, wherein the transport belt moves in a direction in the printer, and wherein the printer comprises:
 a print head including a plurality of jets configured to eject ink, wherein the transport belt is positioned below the print head; 
 a mounting plate positioned adjacent to the print head and above the transport belt; and 
 a spacer positioned above the transport belt and below the mounting plate, wherein the spacer includes a first surface, and wherein a distance between a portion of the first surface and the transport belt decreases moving in the direction that the transport belt moves, the spacer being positioned closer to the transport belt than the print head, and wherein the spacer includes a first side positioned upstream from the plurality of jets and a second side positioned downstream from the plurality of jets with respect to the direction that the transport belt moves and the print head is positioned between the first side and the second side of the spacer. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the piece of paper is configured to contact the first surface when a portion of the piece of paper extends upward from the sport belt first predetermined distance. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first surface urges the portion of the piece of paper back toward the transport belt, and the piece of paper continues moving in the direction under the print head. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the spacer further includes a second surface that is positioned above the first surface, and wherein the second surface is substantially parallel to the transport belt, and wherein the spacer further includes a third surface that is positioned above the second surface, and wherein the third surface is substantially perpendicular to the transport belt. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the piece of paper is configured to contact the second surface, the third surface, or both, when the portion of the piece of paper extends upward from the transport belt a more than the first predetermined distance, thereby causing the piece of paper to jam within the printer.